Decorative pop-up flange replacement

ABSTRACT

A drain replacement assembly including a flange having a downwardly extending lip configured to be received within a drain pipe, an annular seat extending radially outwardly from the lip, and at least one retaining finger extending axially downwardly from the lip. The lip of the flange is inserted within a drain pipe opening, the annular seat of the flange is positioned atop an annular seat of the drain pipe, and the at least one retaining finger engages a portion of the drain pipe to secure the flange to the drain pipe.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/793,794, filed Mar. 15, 2013, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to the field of sink drains. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved substitute and replacement components for sink drains.

Pop-up drains for use within sink basins are well known. The flange of a pop-up drain typically surrounds the outlet in the bottom center of the sink basin. The flange helps center a drain pipe and directs water therethrough. Often, this flange may become dirty or corroded, and/or the finish or material may no longer provide a pleasing appearance, thus requiring replacement. Additionally, when replacing a faucet supported above the sink basin, the pop-up drain may likewise require replacement in order for the faucet and the pop-up drain to have matching material finishes.

Installation of a new flange in a sink usually requires removal of the original flange using various tools. For example, at times, removal of the flange may require striking the underside of the flange with a rubber mallet or other heavy device to jar the flange loose from the sink basin. Further, replacing the flange in a sink usually requires the replacement of the pop-up stopper as well, because the finishes or materials of the flange and the pop-up stopper should preferably match, making them look more aesthetically pleasing.

Thus, an alternative to this complicated disassembly is desirable. An overfitting substitute flange, accompanied by a matching replacement pop-up stopper, would allow a person to forego the use of tools and avoid having to negotiate the underside of the sink basin. Such a substitute flange would prevent complicated disassembly and simplify the potentially difficult process of improving the appearance of a sink.

According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a drain replacement assembly includes a drain pipe having an annular side wall defining a drain opening, and a drain annular seat extending radially outwardly from the side wall. A secondary flange includes a downwardly extending annular lip sized to fit in the drain opening, and a flange annular seat extending radially outwardly from the annular lip. The annular lip is at least partially inserted within the drain opening. The flange annular seat is positioned above the drain pipe to conceal the drain annular seat.

According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a drain replacement assembly includes a flange having a downwardly extending annular lip, a flange annular seat extending radially outwardly from the annular lip, and at least one malleably bendable finger extending downwardly from the annular lip and configured to be bent into at least one overflow hole in a drain pipe.

According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a drain replacement assembly includes a flange having a downwardly extending annular lip, a flange annular seat extending radially outwardly from the annular lip, and at least one finger extending downwardly from the annular lip and configured to be retained within a drain pipe. A stopper is received within an opening defined by the annular lip of the flange. The stopper includes a plunger and a sealing ring supported by the plunger. The stopper is adjustable between a lowered sealed position and a raised unsealed position. The sealing ring is in abutment with the annular lip when the stopper is in the sealed position, and spaced from the annular lip when the stopper is in the unsealed position.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description of the drawings particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a replacement assembly as part of a sink drain assembly in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the replacement assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detailed side cross-sectional view of the replacement assembly of FIG. 2, during an intermediate installation step;

FIG. 4 is another detailed side cross-sectional view of the replacement assembly of FIG. 2, fully installed within a drain pipe; and

FIG. 4A is a detail view of FIG. 4.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. Although the exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a sink drain assembly 10 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention is shown. Sink drain assembly 10 includes a drain replacement assembly 12, a sink basin 14, a drain pipe 16, and a lift rod assembly 18. Specifically, drain replacement assembly 12 is a replacement flange and stopper assembly. More particularly, the drain replacement assembly 12 includes a substitute flange 20, having a flange opening 22, that is supported within drain pipe 16, and a replacement pop-up plug or stopper 24 (hereinafter “stopper”) that is received within flange opening 22.

Drain pipe 16, of a type well-known in the art, provides an outlet for water from sink basin 14. Drain pipe 16 includes an annular, illustratively cylindrical, side wall 23 defining a longitudinal axis 25. A stopper 24 may be inserted down into drain pipe 16 to stop the flow of water therethrough and out of sink basin 14. Drain pipe 16 extends from upper drain opening 26 downward to tail piece 28 that extends below from near where a pivot tip 30 is connected with a pivot rod 32 of lift rod assembly 18. Drain annular flange/seat 34 defines drain opening 26 (hereinafter “drain seat,” to prevent confusion with substitute flange 20) and extends radially outwardly from side wall 23 around the bottom of sink basin 14. Below drain opening 26, a plurality of overflow openings or holes 36 are circumferentially situated within side wall 23 of drain pipe 16 to receive water from overflow opening(s) (not shown) in an upper portion of sink basin 14.

Lift rod assembly 18, of a type well-known in the art, seals and unseals drain pipe 16. Clevis strap 38 is affixed to lift rod 40 via set screw 42 so that clevis strap 38 moves correspondingly up or down as lift rod 40 is raised or lowered, respectively. Lift rod 40 may be supported by a faucet (not shown) positioned above the sink basin 14. Lift rod 40 through clevis strap 38 is illustratively connected to pivot rod 32, which is supported for pivoting movement about ball 43 received within pivot seat 44, and secured therein via retaining nut 46. Pivot rod 32 has pivot tip 30 that extends horizontally into drain pipe 16 to engage bottom loop 48 of adjustment bolt or post 50. Pivot tip 30 can either be received within bottom loop 48, to prevent upward pulling-out removal of stopper 24 from drain pipe 16 (for tamper resistance as in public washrooms), or bottom loop 48 can rest atop pivot tip 30.

In FIG. 1, when lift rod 40 is lifted up, pivot rod 32 pivots within pivot seat 44, thereby allowing stopper 24 to move downwardly due to gravity and seal flange opening 22. In the embodiment where bottom loop 48 is placed atop pivot tip 30, lifting lift rod 40 up simply permits stopper 24 to move towards flange opening 22 and, when water accumulates within sink basin 14, stopper 24 is urged downward by the pressure of the accumulating water to seal flange opening 22. When lift rod 40 is pressed down, pivot rod 32 pushes stopper 24 upward to unseal flange opening 22 and allow passage of water from sink basin 14 into drain pipe 16.

Referring now to FIG. 2, replacement flange and stopper assembly 12 is shown in an exploded, perspective view with the original stopper (not shown) having been removed from drain pipe opening 26. As noted above, drain pipe 16 has four overflow holes 36 below drain seat 34 evenly situated (i.e., circumferentially spaced) around its cylindrical circumference of side wall 23. Drain seat 34 extends length L₁ radially outwardly from opening 26 defined by side wall 23 of drain pipe 16 in a collar-like (i.e., annular) manner. Drain opening 26, which leads downward and extends through drain pipe 16, has an inner diameter D₁.

Flange 20 covers drain seat 34 to provide a substitute material and/or finish in the bottom of sink basin 14. Shaped like a ring, flange 20 has an axially downwardly extending annular side wall or lip 52 with four malleably bendable fingers 54 and 56 extending axially downwardly therefrom. Fingers 54 and 56 and annular lip 52 extend axially downward to help guide and center flange 20 within opening 26 of drain pipe 16 during installation. In the illustrative embodiment, flange 20 is constructed of a single piece of sheet metal that is stamped into the shape shown in FIG. 2, with the four malleably bendable fingers 54 and 56 all formed integrally within flange 20. Fingers 54 and 56 may define retainers, one or more of which are formed or bent radially outwardly into overflow holes 36 to secure flange 20 to drain pipe 16.

This single-piece design of flange 20 provides simplicity and cost-effectiveness because it lacks extra parts and multiple materials. As shown in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 3, fingers 54 have length L₂ and fingers 56 have a length L₃ because all four malleably bendable pieces, formed integrally with flange 20 from a single sheet, cannot all extend equal lengths L₂ from annular lip 52 due to manufacturing constraints. Thus, fingers 56 are shorter than fingers 54 to allow the single-piece construction of substitute flange 20. In other embodiments, the ratio of L₂ to L₃ may be adjusted. Further, providing fingers 54 and 56 with different lengths L₂ and L₃, provides greater bending compatibility with different drains having different sizes, configurations and arrangements of overflow holes 36.

Flange 20 includes an annular flange seat 58 that extends length L₄ radially outwardly from opening 22 defined by lip 52 in a collar-like manner similar to drain seat 34. For flange 20 to accommodate sink basins 14 and drain pipes 16 of various sizes and designs, L₄ should be greater than L₁. This larger seat 58 allows flange 20 to completely cover a wide variety of different sized drain seats 34. In other words, the outer edge 59 of the flange seat 58 is positioned radially outwardly from the outer edge 35 of the drain seat 34. In certain illustrative embodiments as shown in FIG. 4A, the flange 20 includes a downwardly bent lip 61 that partially wraps around outer edge 35 of the drain seat 34. The lip 61 provides additional structural rigidity to the flange 20 and assists in covering the drain seat 34.

Similar to drain pipe 16, flange 20 defines flange opening 22 having diameter D₂, which, when flange 20 is fully installed, leads downwardly into drain pipe 16. Diameter D₂ of flange opening 22 is smaller than diameter D₁ of drain pipe opening 26 to fit flange 20 and its axially downwardly extending members (e.g., lip 52, and fingers 54 and 56) into drain opening 26.

Stopper 24 is designed to seal and unseal flange opening 22, thereby selectively preventing and allowing outflow through the bottom of sink basin 14, respectively. Stopper 24 illustratively includes a plunger 64 supported for sliding movement within flange opening 22.

A cap 60 is supported by an upper end of plunger 64, and adjustment bolt or post 50 is threadably received within a lower end of plunger 64. Immediately below cap 60, sealing ring 62, having diameter D₃, abuts the inner surface of annular lip 52 on flange 20 to seal sink basin 14. To create this seal, D₃ is substantially equal to D₂ so that stopper 24 fits tightly within flange opening 22. Thus, D₃ is smaller than the diameter of the sealing ring of the original stopper. Cap 60, constructed of a thin rigid material having the same exterior finish as flange 20, is at the top of stopper 24, above sealing ring 62. Cap 60 may be formed of a stainless steel sheet affixed to the plunger 64 in a conventional manner, for example by crimping and/or adhesives.

In FIG. 2, stopper 24 has bottom loop 48 for engaging pivot tip 30 (in two possible ways, as previously described and shown in FIG. 1) so that stopper 24 can be axially adjusted by lift rod 40 to seal and unseal drain pipe 16 using lift rod assembly 18. The downward reach of bottom loop 48 may be decreased or increased (i.e., axially adjusted) by threading adjustment bolt or post 50 into and out of plunger 64, respectively. Plunger 64 may be constructed of a plastic, polymer, or other corrosion-resistant material.

For aesthetic purposes, it is desirable that both flange 20 and cap 60 be constructed of matching materials and/or have a matching finish. These materials or finishes may include polished chrome, copper, stainless steel, brass, or nickel, among several others. In one illustrative embodiment, both flange 20 and cap 60 are formed of stainless steel.

Installation of flange 20 and stopper 24 is illustrated in FIGS. 2-4. FIG. 2 illustrates drain pipe 16 with the original stopper (not shown) having been removed and secondary flange 20 and replacement stopper 24 in position just prior to insertion. During assembly of the illustrative embodiment, flange 20 is installed first, and stopper 24 follows next.

Referring now to FIG. 3, flange 20, the first component to be installed in drain pipe 16 in the illustrative embodiment, is shown as having been partially installed, placed over the top of drain seat 34. Stopper 24 is illustrated as being uninstalled and above drain pipe 16. Each finger 54 is positioned along the edge of an adjacent overflow hole 36, but has not been bent under the upper edge 65 of each overflow hole 36 to secure flange 20. Instead, each finger 54 extends substantially and axially perpendicularly from annular lip 52.

In certain illustrative embodiments, when flange 20 is placed atop drain pipe 16, a space 66 may exist between the underside of flange seat 58 and the topside of drain seat 34 because of the angle at which drain seat 34 bends radially outwardly may be different from the angle at which flange seat 58 bends radially outwardly. Space 66 can be sealed and filled using plumbers putty (not shown) or any one of a number of different adhesives (not shown). In certain illustrative embodiments, double faced adhesive tape may be used between drain seat 34 and flange seat 58. Sealing these two seats 34 and 58 together may provide a tighter seal along drain pipe 16 to prevent leakage into the area beneath sink basin 14, and may provide a cleaner and more flush surface along the bottom of sink basin 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, each finger 54 of flange 20 is partially bent through an adjacent overflow hole 36, illustratively hooking onto the upper edge 65 of each adjacent overflow hole 36. The excess lengths of fingers 54 extend radially out of drain pipe 16. Advantageously, it can be contemplated then, that these excess lengths of each finger 54 allow flange 20 to accommodate sink drains of various sizes and overflow holes of various depths and arrangements. Further, while fingers 54 are illustrated as partially bent in FIG. 4, fingers 54 may be bent further upward to more tightly hook the upper edges 65 of overflow holes 36, or hooked to the side of the edges of overflow holes 36, to secure flange 20 to drain pipe 16. The various ways to engage fingers 54 to drain pipe 16 are not limited to the illustrated bending shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, stopper 24, the second component to be installed in the illustrative embodiment, and flange 20, are both shown fully installed. Stopper 24 fits within flange 20 and extends axially downward to engage pivot tip 30 as previously described and shown in FIG. 1. Here, both stopper 24 and flange 20 form a substantially flush surface along the sink basin 14. This creates an aesthetically pleasing sink basin 14 appearance and an effective seal because of the approximate equivalence of diameter D₂ of the flange opening 22 and diameter D₃ of the sealing ring 62.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the spirit and scope of the invention as described and defined in the following claims. 

1. A drain replacement assembly comprising: a drain pipe including an annular side wall defining a drain opening, and a drain annular seat extending radially outwardly from said side wall; and a secondary flange including a downwardly extending annular lip sized to fit in said drain opening, and a flange annular seat extending radially outwardly from the annular lip; said annular lip being at least partially inserted within said drain opening; and said flange annular seat is positioned above said drain pipe to conceal said drain annular seat.
 2. The drain replacement assembly of claim 1, wherein said secondary flange further includes a plurality of fingers extending downwardly relative to said annular seat and configured to be retained by said drain pipe.
 3. The drain replacement assembly of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of fingers includes a malleably bendable extension, said finger bent to engage a portion of said drain opening to secure said secondary flange to said drain.
 4. The drain replacement assembly of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive applied between said flange annular seat and said drain annular seat.
 5. The drain replacement assembly of claim 1, further comprising a stopper received within an opening defined by said annular lip of said secondary flange.
 6. The drain replacement assembly of claim 5, wherein said stopper includes a plunger, and a cap coupled to an upper end of said plunger.
 7. The drain replacement assembly of claim 6, wherein said stopper further includes an adjustable post extending downwardly from said plunger.
 8. The drain replacement assembly of claim 1, wherein said secondary flange is integrally formed from stamped metal.
 9. A drain replacement assembly comprising: a flange including a downwardly extending annular lip, a flange annular seat extending radially outwardly from the annular lip, and at least one malleably bendable finger extending downwardly from said annular lip and configured to be bent into at least one overflow hole in a drain pipe.
 10. The drain replacement assembly of claim 9, further comprising an adhesive applied to said flange annular seat.
 11. The drain replacement assembly of claim 9, further comprising a stopper received within an opening defined by said annular lip of said flange.
 12. The drain replacement assembly of claim 11, wherein said stopper includes a plunger, and a cap coupled to an upper end of said plunger.
 13. The drain replacement assembly of claim 12, wherein said stopper further includes an axially adjustable post extending downwardly from said plunger.
 14. The drain replacement assembly of claim 9, wherein said flange is integrally formed from stamped metal.
 15. The drain replacement assembly of claim 9, wherein said at least one malleable bendable finger includes a first finger and a second finger, said first finger being shorter in length than said second finger.
 16. A drain replacement assembly comprising: a flange including a downwardly extending annular lip, a flange annular seat extending radially outwardly from the annular lip, and at least one finger extending downwardly from said annular lip and configured to be retained within a drain pipe; and a stopper received within an opening defined by the annular lip of the flange, the stopper including a plunger and a sealing ring supported by said plunger, said stopper being adjustable between a lowered sealed position and a raised unsealed position; said sealing ring being in abutment with said annular lip when said stopper is in said sealed position and spaced from said annular lip when said stopper is in said unsealed position.
 17. The drain replacement assembly of claim 16, wherein said at least one finger comprises at least one malleably bendable finger, said at least one finger bent to engage a portion of a drain pipe to secure said flange to said drain pipe.
 18. The drain replacement assembly of claim 17, wherein said at least one malleable bendable finger includes a first finger and a second finger, said first finger being shorter in length than said second finger.
 19. The drain replacement assembly of claim 16 further comprising an adhesive applied to said flange annular seat.
 20. The drain replacement assembly of claim 16, wherein said stopper includes a cap coupled to an upper end of said plunger.
 21. The drain replacement assembly of claim 20, wherein said stopper further includes an axially adjustable post extending downwardly from said plunger.
 22. The drain replacement assembly of claim 16, wherein said flange is integrally formed from stamped metal. 